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ZTE's first Android Go phone, Tempo Go, costs $80

Super-affordable budget Android phones like the Tempo Go could redefine the bottom end of the phone market.

Scott Stein Editor at Large
I started with CNET reviewing laptops in 2009. Now I explore wearable tech, VR/AR, tablets, gaming and future/emerging trends in our changing world. Other obsessions include magic, immersive theater, puzzles, board games, cooking, improv and the New York Jets. My background includes an MFA in theater which I apply to thinking about immersive experiences of the future.
Expertise VR and AR, gaming, metaverse technologies, wearable tech, tablets Credentials
  • Nearly 20 years writing about tech, and over a decade reviewing wearable tech, VR, and AR products and apps
Scott Stein
tempo-go-image

The ZTE Tempo Go: Android updates should be a lot easier to get.

ZTE

Android Go, a lightweight version of Android designed for lower-end devices with less than 1GB of RAM, promises a world of efficient, decent-performing budget phones with timely security and app updates. What phones can you expect with Android Go? ZTE has one of them: the Tempo Go is heading to the US for about $80.

Announced in Barcelona at Mobile World Congress, the ZTE Tempo Go will be one of the first US Android Go phones, and the first to have Qualcomm's new quad-core MSM8909 processor.

The Tempo Go will be sold unlocked, and work on GSM via AT&T and T-Mobile.

Android Go is a different version of Android Oreo, and has its own optimized apps in a specialized app store.

How does it all feel? Stay tuned for photos and hands-on impressions soon. At $80, if it's good, it could represent a whole new promising entry level for smartphones.

ZTE Tempo Go specs

  • 5-inch, 854x480-pixel LCD
  • 5-megapixel rear camera, 2-megapixel front camera
  • 2,200 mAh battery
  • 3.5mm headphone jack
  • Micro SIM
  • microSD card slot, up to 32GB
  • Micro-USB port
  • 1GB of RAM, 8GB storage
  • 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi

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